[Willbrunei]

I have a head weep. At what point do I pull the head and replace the gasket? Or do I wipe and ride?

Never had a non jap bike so unsure how much seepage is “normal”

Weeping seems to be pushrod side, around intake pushrod tube

Please see pics

Thanks in advance

[AzCal Retred]

That looks pretty much like both my machines. The pushrod tunnels seem to be the culprits. Unless you have a mechanical reason to pull the head (like that new alloy barrel and forged piston) or you're seeing oil dripping out I'd go with "Wipe 'n ride". Oil's cheap and a bit of "Protective mung 'n drool" keeps the rust off, eh? 
Somewhere, maybe here, I saw where a clever bloke had used his drill press and a hole saw to make recesses around the pushrod tunnels. I believe he did this on the cylinder. He than used a couple maybe 1" O-rings to put paid to his weep. He also dispensed with the head gasket by  lapping the cylinder spigot to the head, then using a bit of "Indian Head Gasket Shellac" to guarantee combustion chamber sealing. I know the clever folks on here that push the limits a bit are fully up to speed on this process. It was SOP on my old rotary valve Can-Am desert racer.

[Bullet Whisperer]

That looks pretty much like both my machines. The pushrod tunnels seem to be the culprits. Unless you have a mechanical reason to pull the head (like that new alloy barrel and forged piston) or you're seeing oil dripping out I'd go with "Wipe 'n ride". Oil's cheap and a bit of "Protective mung 'n drool" keeps the rust off, eh? 
Somewhere, maybe here, I saw where a clever bloke had used his drill press and a hole saw to make recesses around the pushrod tunnels. I believe he did this on the cylinder. He than used a couple maybe 1" O-rings to put paid to his weep. He also dispensed with the head gasket by  lapping the cylinder spigot to the head, then using a bit of "Indian Head Gasket Shellac" to guarantee combustion chamber sealing. I know the clever folks on here that push the limits a bit are fully up to speed on this process. It was SOP on my old rotary valve Can-Am desert racer.

That might have been me with the O rings - I have done a few like that. You have to be careful because the O rings don't always want to be concentric to the tunnels in the barrel, as the tunnels in the head may be slightly out of step with them and a compromise may be needed. As for the oil leak this thread is about, perhaps tightening the head nuts might sort it 
 B.W.

[Bilgemaster]

You must be VERY gentle so as not to strip those dodgy threads, but with similar weepage I hosed down that that rusty head nut near the decompressor assembly with a spritz of PB Blaster, then came back and dressed it up a bit with a brass brush, and gently torqued it to maybe 4 foot pounds, and the weepage stopped, or at least slowed down acceptably. That nut was pretty loose in my case. It's not a huge issue though. It's pretty "normal" for them to "sweat" a bit of oil. No cause to pull its head off.

[Paul W]

That’s just the built in rust prevention system to compensate for  the poor paint on the barrel.

[AzCal Retred]

In days of yore Husqvarna used a similar system to prevent their front forks from galling...
As a side effect we discovered that discount ATF was way cheaper than Husky fork seals.

[mrunderhill1975a]

If you can clean up the oil with two rags it is a "seep".  If it takes more than three rags it is a "leak".  I don't worry about seeps.

[cyrusb]

If its not all over your pants , its fine.

[Karl Fenn]

Thank god it's not as bad as my triumph T120 and T140 used be no worries there.

[AzCal Retred]

Maybe it's just exuding class...

[Willbrunei]

thanks all

[Bilgemaster]

If its not all over your pants , its fine.

What CyrusB said. Also, if it really bugs you, our "Bullet Whisperer" Paul Henshaw, showed a clever little "bodge" one can do, particularly if one KNOWS one has a plain copper head gasket here: https://youtu.be/SPvT4HAgokM.

I'm not exactly sure if this tip may be advisable for composite or other sorts of gaskets used in Bullets, but I'll let Paul comment as he wishes. Suffice it to say that with a rugged solid copper one it seems to work a charm, and frankly, with some experience of composite vs. good solid copper head gaskets with my Nortons, I'd go reusable/re-annealable copper every damned time.

[Bullet Whisperer]

What CyrusB said. Also, if it really bugs you, our "Bullet Whisperer" Paul Henshaw, showed a clever little "bodge" one can do, particularly if one KNOWS one has a plain copper head gasket here: https://youtu.be/SPvT4HAgokM.

I'm not exactly sure if this tip may be advisable for composite or other sorts of gaskets used in Bullets, but I'll let Paul comment as he wishes. Suffice it to say that with a rugged solid copper one it seems to work a charm, and frankly, with some experience of composite vs. good solid copper head gaskets with my Nortons, I'd go reusable/re-annealable copper every damned time.

This can work fine on solid copper head gaskets, especially the thicker ones, which naturally have more material which can be moved slightly in this manner. As long as the gasket isn't letting any compression past, this can be a long term fix, but it will not work on composite or sandwich type copper gaskets.
 B.W.

[Bilgemaster]

Thanks for clarifying that fiddle, Paul.

[cyrusb]

Glad to see this post is back. I'd like to add that the small stud by the spark plug must communicate with the crankcase. (does it?). Because after its all warmed up and idling, I see it blowing little oil bubbles. Cute little 1/4 inch diameter bubbles, like 1 a minute. Still, really no mess.